I need a simple motherboard and found several that offer the features I want/need. One is an Asus, the other a GigaByte and the last is Foxconn. The Foxconn is by far the cheapest even though it offers the most features of the three, but I have no experience whatsoever with this brand. So does anyone here have any experience with Foxconn? Or should I just pay extra to get an Asus or GigaByte (even though I'd loose a few features)?

The warehouse where I buy all my products has stopped carrying them because of the number of warranty returns. I used a couple for budgets systems and I think I had them both come back for warranty replacements. I'd stick with the quality stuff. What socket do you need?

[This message has been edited by Taijiguy (edited 12-10-2007).]

"If it aint Boeing I ain't going...." If it ain't ASUS i'm not building it....

When it comes to Computers and Commercial Jets, You get what you pay for.

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1988 Fiero Formula T-tops
CJB 143 of 1252 "factory T-top cars"

Foxconn is an OE manufacturer. Many of Dell's MoBo's are made by these folks. While I don't have personal experience with them, I have heard some good things.

I have not heard good things about Foxxcon.

I have always liked Asus & Gigabyte.
Been very good to me.

I think HP using some models with Foconn. I check for your model Mobo on Newegg.com and read the review from people who have purchased it.

Foxconn supplies parts to quite a few companies, but most of the stuff they make wasn't designed by them. Most of their business is producing components under contract to OEM's. In other words, they didn't design the stuff, they just crank it out. Although, by making all these things for other people, they've learned quite a bit that they've applied to their own designs.

Some info on the company:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn

Personally, I've always used Asus, and have been very happy with their products.

I bought a Foxconn mobo for one of my computers. Synthesis was helping in the build and just shook his head.

About a month later it was overheating and just very unreliable.

I got a big "Told ya so!" from Synthesis after we determined it was the motherboard causing the flakiness.

I know Asus and GigaByte are supposed to be better, but I had two Asus motherboards fail on me in the past few years. A few of my friends have had problems with Asus motherboards as well. I've only used GigaByte motherboards twice before (without problems) but have never tried FoxConn motherboards.

quote Originally posted by Cliff Pennock: I know Asus and GigaByte are supposed to be better, but I had two Asus motherboards fail on me in the past few years. A few of my friends have had problems with Asus motherboards as well. I've only used GigaByte motherboards twice before (without problems) but have never tried FoxConn motherboards.

I've had decent luck with ASUS boards, and sold Gigabyte boards for a while, but then switched over completely to Intel boards after seeing the stack of Gigabyte boards waiting to be RMA'd at the warehouse. If it's an Intel CPU, I'd suggest an Intel board, if nothing else, just for the warranty. Intel does a next day AM delivery RMA on all boards for three years. Same for CPUs. You can get Intel boards pretty reasonable. D945GCLL boards (socket 775) can be had for about 65 bucks or less, and carry the previously mentioned warranty.

ive got a foxconn board in my gaming machine at home, it worked for about 2 days then i sent it in for a replacement, they sent a newer version of the board i purchased (same features but newer bios) its worked flawlessly for over a year, it gets shut down about once a month if that. personally though if i had to do it over again i would have purchased a well known board that had plenty of good reviews.

matthew

When I started my computer business I refused to use Foxconn because of bad personal experiences with them as well as their bad rep—however, Foxconn's products in the past few months have really made me take a second look and I am going to begin testing out a few models in January to see if they meet my extremely high standards. Foxconn is really beginning to shape up and I wouldn't shy away from them based on brand name alone—just find some reviews for the specific model you're looking at first. They are inexpensive, but they have to be due to the past bad rep, and that rep is quickly improving.

Like in any market, just about every brand makes some junk and some diamonds in the rough. I've seen good and bad from Abit, Asus, Gigabyte, Intel — even had an ASRock board that really impressed me.

Edit to add: what models are you looking at?

[This message has been edited by timwdegner (edited 12-10-2007).]

I've had a pair of foxconn boards. They're pretty stable, but the first one the hard drive controller started to go(our power lines weren't to good so we lost power alot which might have had something to do with it), corrupting my hard drives as it went. The second one is still working but there is a problem with the power control so sometimes it won't start all the rails in the psu. They seemed pretty good when they worked but im not sure i would trust them.

I don't have any first-hand experience with Foxconn stuff, but have read/heard lots of experiences from others. They have a reputation for sub-par quality control. Although, now that everything is made in China, everyone's quality control went south. So the odds are probably more even now.

I have one Foxconn in a computer in the garage, used. It is old, Socket A and running Ubuntu, but nothing flashy. Not hooked up right now, but no problems: But nothing spectacular either.

I picked one up cheap and am running it. No problems.

Over the years, a lot of people talked poorly of ECS boards. But I got a couple of cheap versions and just ran them for 4-5 years with no problems whatsoever.

I would suspect it is hit or miss due to quality control issues. If you get a decent one, it just keeps running. If you get a bad one, it is gone.

But, really, for $25 to $30 for a motherboard, if it runs for a year, that isn't even that bad.